Return of the Surfer
by Kat Lee formerly Pirate Turner
Summary: Ray returns with a surprise for Mouse.


Title: "Return of the Surfer"  
Author: Pirate Turner  
Dedicated To: Pirate Sparrow. Happy birthday:-)  
Rating: PG  
Spoilers: ReBoot's second and third seasons  
Summary: Ray returns with a surprise for Mouse.  
Disclaimer: Ray Tracer, Mouse, Bob, Dot Matrix, Megabyte, Daemon, and ReBoot are © & TM their respective owners and are used without permission. Everything else is © & TM Pirate Turner. The author makes no profit off of this story.

She zipped far over the system, her purple eyes carefully scanning every inch that she could see as she passed over. Things had been too quiet since their defeat of Daemon, and she fully expected trouble to rear its ugly head at any nanosecond. She just didn't know where it would first show or what it would be. Despite her attempt to keep her database focused on the situation at hand, her thoughts began to drift.

There was a time, not too many minutes ago, that she would never have been able to stay in one system for long. She had had a thirst for adventure and action for all her cycles, and that craving had kept her from being able to settle down. Then, she had finally found friends and even a family who she could not abandon, and so she had stayed for a while when they had faced Megabyte and then Daemon to help them protect their system. During those battles, her friendships with the others had grown as had her love for Mainframe until she could no longer imagine herself leaving.

If there was any reason why she would leave, though, that reason would be him. He had invited her to go with him and had been dismayed when she had declined his offer, but she had been unable to abandon her friends. As she continued to zip along, she wondered where he was and if he had ever been able to understand why she had not gone with him. Of all the men she had ever known, he was the one of only two who had ever threatened to capture her heart, and she longed for him far more than she had ever wanted Bob. Bob was now engaged to Dot, and Ray was gone from her forever. Mouse was alone, and her heart ached silently.

* * *

He slipped smoothly through the port and began to soar over the system, his eyes scanning the system for any sign of her. Through all his cycles, he had never met a Sprite like that passionate hacker, and he had been unable to get her out of his database ever since he had left. He had regretted his departure from Mainframe every minute since then, but it had been far too late. He had tried everything to get her out of his database, but nothing had worked.

Finally, he had surrendered to his heart and had began to make his way back to Mainframe. It had taken him a very long time, and he could only hope that she was still there. Not for the first time, he wondered if she even missed him, and he prayed to the User that his quest would not prove to be pointless. He soared high and dipped low over the system, scanning everywhere for her.

At long last, he spotted her, and his breath caught in his throat. She flew over the system on her zipboard, scanning the sectors she passed over; he wondered what she was looking for and hoped he had not returned at a bad time. She was still as beautiful as he remembered her, and his arms ached to hold her again. He began to surf swiftly toward her as he called out, "MOUSE!"

* * *

She heard his voice yell her name, but she knew it was only her imagination as she continued along. It was then that he called her name again, and her head finally snapped up. Her heart froze for a nanosecond as she stared at him in disbelief.

"Mouse," he exclaimed joyfully as he reached her, "I found you!"

She felt the familiar catch of breath in her throat when he gave her his trademark grin, but she still had to blink several times before she could even begin to trust her eyes. "Ray?" she asked softly, her Southern accent even thicker than usual. "Is that really ya, shugah?" she breathed, fighting to keep her voice from trembling in hopeful shock.

"Oh, yes, Mouse, it's me! The Surfer's back in the flesh!" the Aussie announced with a wink.

"But . . . " Mouse struggled to form a coherent thought amongst the turmoil of emotions that her heart was wrapped up in. "But . . . Ah don't understand . . . Ah thought ya wan't comin' back . . . "

"I wasn't," Ray admitted softly, "but then I realized I had ta."

"What d'ya mean -- ya had ta? Ray, if something's goin' on . . ."

"Mouse, listen ta me," Ray spoke sternly but gently. "I should've never left, but I'm not used ta stickin' around in any one place. I'm sorry I ran out on you guys like I did, an' . . ."

"An' what, shugah?" Mouse asked when he broke off and did not finish his sentence for a couple of nanoseconds.

Ray brought his surfboard closer to her zipboard so that he could look directly into her eyes. He removed his shades, allowing her to see his eyes for the first time. "I'm sorry I left ya, pretty lady. That kiss ya gave me when the whole system was crashin' down is the best kiss I ever had. I couldn't get it or you out o' my system no matter how much I tried, an' I . . . " His voice trailed off again as words failed him a second time.

"Ray," Mouse spoke, clearly confused, "what are ya tryin' ta say?"

"Crash it, Mouse!" he finally exclaimed. "I usually don't have any problems talkin' the talk, but when it comes ta you, I'm tongue-tied."

"Is there another way ya can tell me, shug?" she suggested.

Ray's smile seemed to make his handsome face nearly glow. "Now that, pretty lady, I can always do!" he answered. Without hesitation, he reached over and pulled her onto his surfboard, leaving her zipboard hovering in the space behind. His strong arms wrapped gently around her, and he dipped her smoothly as he pressed his lips to hers. The sultry Sprite's surprise was overpowered by the pleasure that swept through her from his kiss. Her lips parted under his as she returned the kiss, their passion growing as their tongues dove into each other's mouths and sparked a heated duel. Her hands slid over his shoulders to cup his neck, gently caressing his skin.

Slowly, their lips parted, and Mouse fluttered her eyes up at Ray. "Shugah, are ya tellin' me what Ah'm hopin' ya are?" Her heart pounded so loudly in her chest that she was almost surprised he could not hear it.

"I missed you, Mouse," he told her, "more than I ever thought I'd miss any one. I don't know if you still want me, but I'm here if ya do."

"Oh, Ray!" she breathed against his mouth, her breath slightly tickling his lips. Her hands entwined behind his neck, and her lips pressed against his once more in a kiss that threatened to melt Ray's entire system. Even as immense pleasure and even greater joy surged through his being, Ray pulled Mouse closer against him. As he returned her kiss with even greater passion, her tongue slipped up into his mouth; their tongues rubbed against each other as an even more sizzling duel began. Their bodies melted into one another as their passion continued to grow, the artificial sun setting behind them while their hearts thundered as one.

**The End**


End file.
